Contrary to expectations, the 2023 World Cup match Afghanistan and the Netherlands will be a massively interesting one and will possibly determine their semi-final fate. Ekana Sports City in Lucknow, which has hosted some of the high-profile matches, will stage this game on November 3rd (Friday) as both sides look for supremacy and clear their path for the semi-finals.
The Netherlands have defeated South Africa and Bangladesh to secure two of the biggest wins in their history. However, the Dutch also endured heavy losses to New Zealand and Australia, making their path to the semi-finals a lot tricky than it could have been. They would not only need to beat Afghanistan, but also ensure a good NRR.
Afghanistan, meanwhile, are riding high on confidence, after acing two run-chases against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have spearheaded their batting performances, notably stitching an opening partnership of 130 against Pakistan in Chennai.
Squads of Afghanistan and Netherlands:
Netherlands squad: Scott Edwards (c), Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht.
Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen ul Haq.
When and Where to watch Afghanistan vs Netherlands?
The live streaming of the fixture will be on Disney+ Hotstar, while the live telecast takes place on Star Sports.
Afghanistan have a strong head-to-head record over the Netherlands in ODIs, winning 7 out of 9 matches. It will be the first time these two sides will meet in the World Cup.
Afghanistan have also played thrice at the Ekana Stadium, but got defeated in all three. Netherlands also played 1 and lost 1.
